Getting More out of Less in Data Centers
Understanding complex cable connectivity is crucial to the overall installation and any cabling project’s success. Most network failures start and end at the connectivity and can be determined by proper cable management methods. The goal of data center cable management is to improve troubleshooting time, uptime, and capacity utilization. Reliable data center cable management comes down to one key concept – “Less is more.” New connector innovations make it easier to make the right choices to provide more fiber optic connections in less space. In essence, more density with less components is reshaping data center cable management topology and redefining best practices for maximum overall network performance.
One of the worst issues with cable management in the data center space is restrictive airflow and lack of future scalability. The reliability of the entire data center network rests on the high-density cross connects between the equipment through the patch panels and cable management located between active equipment housed in racks and cabinets. High-density cable and connectivity are the answer to ensuring optimum airflow between the equipment and also allows scalability to add connections later as technology evolves.
Legrand, the leader in data center solutions, continues to transform fiber optic connectivity to deliver the most advanced data center network performance. By offering a variety of high-density connector options, Legrand maximizes cable management efficiency to optimize data center spaces.
Less Components to Increase Density
Historically, data center cabling includes multi-fiber cables connected to the core equipment, such as the switches, through multi-fiber cassettes and then breaking out to duplex patch cables to connect to the localized server equipment through patching fields. However, high-density patching with duplex patch cables creates a challenge in cable management and accessibility. Emerging high speed transceiver technologies, such as 400G and soon 800G, will increase the number and concentration of high data rate ports in routers and switches. Increasing the quantity of duplex fibers creates a spaghetti-esk mess.
For so long, the small form factor of the LC connector has been king of the duplex connector format in data centers because they offer 144 fibers per 1U in a patch panel. Now, there’s a new standard for data center connectivity – the MDC (mini duplex connector), which triples the number of fibers and connections in the same footprint. Known as the “Very Small Form Factor” or VSFF, the MDC drastically increases density while simplifying installation procedures, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Although it is similar in overall size and employs a 1.25mm ceramic ferrule like in the LC , it is different in form and factor. One of the biggest differences is that the MDC housing is a uniboot, making it sturdier than the LC. Another variance is the space in between the two ferrules of the duplex patch cables – there is 6.25mm space between the duplex LC’s and a much smaller 3.5mm between two adjacent MDC connectors.
Polarity is a hot topic and major concern for data center installers and system designers. With the MDC patch cords, reversing polarity takes seconds, not minutes. The pair reversal procedure is simply
achieved by pulling down the polarity clip, flipping it 180 degrees and easily pushing it back in place. In addition, the connector boot can rotate a full 1.5” range of motion either way, which adds to the ease of insertion and removal, further saving substantial installation time.
Acclaiming Data Center Connectivity
Legrand puts all the pieces together to offer complete end-to-end systems that perform at the highest bandwidths and in the tightest of spaces. Legrand has modernized data center architecture by employing the MDC connectors and patch cords to create the Infinium acclAIM fiber system. The Infinium acclAIM system has redefined connectivity by replacing pre-terminated MPO cassette-based solutions with direct connections which eliminate extra components, and cost.
By swapping out MPO cassettes with a small form factor adapter called the Alignment Independent Multifiber (AIM), Legrand has revolutionized the fiber interconnect system for data centers. This main concept that defines the Infinium acclAIM fiber system includes mating the trunk cable directly to an array of twin-fiber patch cord connectors by means of a “conversion adapter.”
With the Infinium acclAIM solution, the number of two mated connections in an MPO cassette are now replaced by a single connection in the adapter. In other words, the low-performance MPO cassettes are basically eliminated. With 800 Gigabit Ethernet applications hovering on the horizon, no longer are the losses resulting from MPOs allowable as the entire fiber system would need to be ripped and replaced.
Legrand’s stands behind their commitment for data centers, “Less is More”− less components, less cost, less installation time, less complexity, more airflow, more scalability, more reliability and more return-on-investment (ROI).